


Snap Out of It

by blackskimasksong (elunore)



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: 50s au, Catholic school AU, Homophobic Slurs, M/M, homophobic actions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 11:25:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5965618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elunore/pseuds/blackskimasksong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank Iero is a kid just trying to make it in Catholic school in 1952, but when you're a gay kid with a love for rock and roll and a strange boy you meet in a diner, life is really not easy at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snap Out of It

Frank swallowed hard. He couldn’t believe he did it. Fuck, he just couldn’t stop staring in the mirror, swiveling around to look at the ink on his chest. He had to pay a fucking arm and leg too to get the artist to tattoo him underage, but it was so worth it to see the flames with “HOPE” written under them. He couldn’t believe it.

But soon enough his mom was pounding on the bathroom door, telling him to hurry up or else he’d be late for school. As if he cared about school. He didn’t go half the time it seemed anyway.

But still he grudgingly shrugged on his tee-shirt and button down, tying the red tie and smoothing everything out, letting his hand rest over his heart, where the tattoo was. It felt good to have it there. It was his secret even when the nuns at school were giving him bullshit about not knowing the answers or day dreaming in class. Frank gave a brief moment to fantasize that the tattoo was his armor against the bullies and the nuns and priests trying to scare him into eternal damnation. He was already headed there anyway though. The bullies knew it too every time they slammed him to the ground and called him a fag. It would be ok though. He just had to deal with a few more years and then he’d head up to New York, he’d heard they were more accepting or at least the gay scene was better than Jersey. Even then he didn’t really need to ever find someone. He could just be single forever. It wasn’t that bad when you got down to it. He could just spend his days working and his nights spinning records or going to clubs.

He was out of time to daydream though. If he was late to homeroom again Sister Agatha would beat his ass to a pulp and he’d be grounded forever when his parents found out. He began picking up his pace, his bag banging against his back with every step. By the time the school appeared in the distance he slowed to a leisurely walk. He didn’t want to get into the classroom too early or else Sister Agatha would scold him about his hair and the scuffs on his shoes. He couldn’t help if they got scuffed. They were shoes for fuck’s sake.

When Frank crossed the threshold into the school he edged alone the lobby, trying to attract no attention until he could slide into his class and his desk that was unfortunately close to the front and hope he could pass the day without incident.

When morning prayers were said, Frank stood and mumbled the words along with the other students which earned him a seething glare from Sister Agatha. He suffered through her lecture on the crusades and through his math class and then it was lunch where Frank was lucky to dart out of the building and speed walk down to the corner to meet up with Ray.

Ray was Frank’s saving grace in school. Ray was the only one who didn’t seem to give him a hard time and saw through the nuns’ bullshit. Frank broke into a grin as Ray’s curly hair came into view. They waved and Ray broke into a jog to catch up.

“What’s for lunch?”

“Let’s go to the new burger joint. They’re supposed to be decent at least?” And it wouldn’t be swarmed with kids from school, Frank silently added.

So Frank and Ray wandered down the street to the new pastel and chrome building with flashing neon in the windows. When they opened the door the mouthwatering scent of grease soaked burgers and sweet soda syrup and Frank felt his stomach growl. They slid into the booth and glanced around checking to make sure the coast was clear, there were only two other kids wearing their school’s uniforms and they weren’t anyone Frank recognized so he was safe for now. Frank and Ray ordered and Ray started chattering about a girl who had just transferred into his homeroom and Frank couldn’t help his eyes from wandering across the diner to the other two students. Both of them had long hair, one brown and one black and Frank couldn’t figure out how they managed to have long hair and not have a nun just take a razor to it?

Frank was puzzled over this when Ray finally realized he was talking to himself and tracked Frank’s eyes across the room and to the two boys.

“Frank?”

Frank could hear the question in Ray’s voice. Ray was the only one who knew. Frank was going to keep it that way. But, sometimes Ray still questioned it.

Frank remembered when he had first told Ray. Seeing Ray’s confused and then disgusted then kind of acceptance all within the span of a few seconds. Ever since then Frank had made sure to never bring it up again. He left that to Ray. Frank was lucky. He knew what happened to people like him. He heard the stories of beatings and murders and rapes and he knew it could happen to him for real someday. But Ray hadn’t done anyone that and instead just asked a few questions, but mostly ignored it. It was their secret.

Frank shook his head, no, those guys probably weren’t gay. Especially if they were catholic. The two were kind of mutually exclusive.

The one with the black hair glanced over at Frank and Frank quickly tore his eyes away, blushing madly. He couldn’t believe how pretty the black haired guy was. Delicate features and a button nose and piercing eyes that almost seemed unsettling juxtaposed with such pale skin. His eyes had paused on Frank in such a knowing way that Frank felt like so many of the layers he had built up over the years had been peeled away instantly.

Ray looked between the two, “Go say hi to them,” Ray suggested, “Even if they’re not…ya know, we make two new friends maybe?”

“Or we make two new enemies,” Frank countered, “We don’t know them, they could be practically rabid.”

Ray scoffed, “Look at them. There’s no way there near as bad as half the kids in school.”

And Ray had a point, the one with brown hair had a bit of a slouch and wore thick glasses and the black haired one was a bit of a grease ball even if his skin was terrifyingly clear.

Frank let out a long sigh, he wanted the black haired one to be like him. To like him even. Frank brought his hand up and rubbed at his neck. Then let his hand fall down and rest for half a second on the new ink on his chest. His armor and his courage and, as cliché as it was, his hope.


End file.
